There are various versions of the C25K plan but the version I chose was on the NHS website, with free podcasts to download for each stage of the program. It's a brilliant program for anyone who wants to start running, starting off with easy intervals (60 seconds running alternated with 90 seconds of walking for twenty minutes) and building up over 9 weeks to running for half an hour. Although it is described as taking you from couch to 5km, the reality is that for many new runners that half hour of running isn't long enough to cover 5km but it is still a huge achievement and the distance and pace can come later.
You can read about the program and download the podcasts here: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx
Because of my complete lack of confidence, I hid away in the gym for most of the first six weeks, plodding away on the treadmill. Every time I completed one of the podcasts, I felt a huge sense of achievement. Sometimes I'd even go back and do a bit extra just to see if I could. I also made a point of always running the last interval (or two) at a faster rate than the others. I didn't get bored on the treadmill while the sessions were short intervals of running and walking but as the time spent running got longer it became less interesting.
I completed the Week 5 Run 3 podcast on the treadmill - the first time I had run for a whole twenty minutes and I sped up for the last couple of minutes. I was buzzing and afterwards I just wanted to sing and dance in the showers at the gym. I don't think I stopped grinning all day, I think this was the run that gave me the greatest sense of achievement, even more so than actually graduating at the end of the nine weeks. Soon afterwards though, I started wondering if I dared to venture into the great outdoors. Would people just point and laugh at the unfit, chubby lady huffing and puffing along at little more than walking pace ?
We had a holiday booked in Northumberland, a week on a caravan park so I knew I would have no choice but to run outside. I tried a very early morning run from home beforehand, early so as few people as possible would see me. It was strange how much more there was to think about, kerbs seemed like an extra challenge and the hills, which are fairly unavoidable around here, they were killers, especially as I live on a hill which means all runs end with an uphill stretch. On the other hand, it was certainly more interesting and, difficult as it was to crawl out of bed so early in the morning, I loved it once I was outside.
On holiday, my first of the week seven runs, a whole 25 minutes of running, was fairly cautious as I had no idea where to head for or how far I would get. I got up bright and early and ran around the caravan park a couple of times. It felt like hard work but I suspected that was largely because it wasn't very interesting. For the next run, I was more adventurous and decided to explore an intriguing looking footpath through some nearby woodland. As soon as I set off, I found myself dodging tree-roots and stones, weaving around nettles and trotting through mud; I saw rabbits, squirrels and even a heron swooping down over the nearby river. Now, this was more like it. I think this was when I decided I loved running.
Another particularly memorable run was after a mini school reunion in Taunton. After a very enjoyable evening and late night and lots of wine, I was up incredibly early so I could fit in my scheduled run in a once-familiar area. The road layout had changed a bit and I wasn't completely confident about where I was going but places soon began to fall into place. I found a new nature reserve area behind my old secondary school. There was a particular joy in running here, in sight of the playing field where I had so used to hate sport. I laughed to myself as I wondered if the games teachers would believe that I was now running because I actually enjoyed it.
After completing the program, mainly running in the great outdoors early in the morning, I felt a bit lost. I didn't have a target to aim for any more and I needed something to motivate me. I didn't know anyone else in Telford who ran. Inspired by a couple of people on the Health Unlocked C25K forum, I started to wonder if I was brave enough to join a running club..............
Monday, 30 September 2013
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Energy bar recipe
I've been experimenting a bit recently with making my own energy bars. I've based them loosely on this recipe from Runners' World.
In today's version, I found that someone had pinched my old bananas so I peeled and grated four small apples instead then blended them with half a cup of coconut oil (instead of the vegetable oil) and added a cup of honey and dark brown sugar (instead of the cup of sugar). I started off using the recipe quantities of oats and flour but I think my apple mixture must have been a lot wetter so ended up adding lots of extra oats until the mixture was stiff rather than sloppy. I also added dessicated coconut, half a cup of omega seed mix, chopped crystallized ginger, chopped dates and sultanas, ground nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and some caraway seeds. I greased and lined a shallow baking sheet using coconut oil, pressed the mixture into the tin and cooked on about 180 deg C for 20-25 minutes.
Once cooled, I've cut them into bite sized pieces so I can stick two or three in my bum bag for long runs and see how I get along with eating them on the hoof. I'll have to hide some as I've noticed that they disappear rather quickly when the teenogre is home alone !
In today's version, I found that someone had pinched my old bananas so I peeled and grated four small apples instead then blended them with half a cup of coconut oil (instead of the vegetable oil) and added a cup of honey and dark brown sugar (instead of the cup of sugar). I started off using the recipe quantities of oats and flour but I think my apple mixture must have been a lot wetter so ended up adding lots of extra oats until the mixture was stiff rather than sloppy. I also added dessicated coconut, half a cup of omega seed mix, chopped crystallized ginger, chopped dates and sultanas, ground nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger and some caraway seeds. I greased and lined a shallow baking sheet using coconut oil, pressed the mixture into the tin and cooked on about 180 deg C for 20-25 minutes.
Once cooled, I've cut them into bite sized pieces so I can stick two or three in my bum bag for long runs and see how I get along with eating them on the hoof. I'll have to hide some as I've noticed that they disappear rather quickly when the teenogre is home alone !
How did it come to this ?
My elusive father rang me the other day. We don't have much contact, which is a shame, because he no longer has an internet connection or even a telephone line at home so I have to rely on him remembering to ring me on his mobile. He's also very forgetful. During the course of the conversation, I mentioned that I've been running a bit and that I've recently completed my first half-marathon.
"I don't believe it !" he said "You haven't run since you were about three!"
I should also point out that he is not Victor Meldrew and he can be prone to exaggeration.
When I thought about it, I realized that I probably hadn't run since I was at school, which was a long time ago. If I had told my games teachers then that one day I would be contemplating running a marathon they would probably just stared in disbelief. I remember loving running and jumping when I was at primary school - we would set up hurdles in the back garden and practice long jump and high jump and running was just something you did without thinking when you wanted to get somewhere quickly. Secondary school really killed any joy I had in sports and I know I'm not alone in that. I can't catch to save my life and could rarely manage to make a bat make contact with a ball so I may as well have been completely useless. What was described as "cross-country" was seen by many as a form of punishment and was really just running around the school playing field in the cold.
After leaving school, I suppose I was fairly active in that I walked or cycled everywhere but I certainly didn't have any thoughts of going to a gym or exercise class. I think there was a brief period when I was about 20 when I went along to an aerobics class with my mum, then again a brief period of going to the gym with a friend from work when I was about 29 and newly single, but I don't think I worked very hard at it. A year later, I was in a new relationship and pregnant and feeling exhausted and big. After my son arrived, I worked hard at losing all the baby weight and used a resistance machine regularly at home to get back in shape but that was it until about two years ago.
I was overweight and feeling worn out. I'd had aches and pains in joints and limbs for months and months and little energy left after getting through the day at work. I'd been to the doctor several times, checking for things like arthritis and having blood tests and at last it was concluded that I had fibromyalgia. I was prescribed daily tramadol and citalopram. It was good to have an answer at last and I went home and did lots of research on the internet. I'd thought about going to the gym or running over the previous couple of years and just not got any further than that because of the aches and pains. Now I found several mentions that exercise could be good for fibromyalgia and that prompted me to join a gym and to start attending a yoga class and a weight loss/fitness class.
I was very nervous to start with but loved the classes and worked hard at the gym too. For a few months I carried on with this but kept vaguely wondering if I could run. I'd gone to a few Women in Motion running classes a year or so earlier and, after finding it very painful for my knees, had got as far as buying proper running shoes before the little group fizzled out. I kept looking at the NHS C25K plan and wondering if I could do it. I downloaded the podcasts but still wasn't sure how to start. I wasn't confident enough to venture outdoors and run where people could actually see me. The gym closed down for a while and a nice new one was built. Soon after the new gym appeared, I decided I would follow the C25K plan on the treadmill until I felt confident enough to venture into the great outdoors. I discovered a wonderfully warm and supportive community of new runners and C25K graduates on the Health Unlocked C25K forum. At the end of February 2013, aged 45, I got up early and headed for the gym, knowing that it would be almost empty and hardly anyone would see me huffing and puffing on the treadmill.
I was embarking on a new and exciting journey that would take me up to running a whole 5km without stopping. I was determined to stick with the program. I was confident that would be as far as I wanted to go with my running journey - I would run a regular 5km a couple or three times a week, just enough to keep me active. I couldn't imagine ever wanting to go further than that.
To be continued.....
"I don't believe it !" he said "You haven't run since you were about three!"
I should also point out that he is not Victor Meldrew and he can be prone to exaggeration.
When I thought about it, I realized that I probably hadn't run since I was at school, which was a long time ago. If I had told my games teachers then that one day I would be contemplating running a marathon they would probably just stared in disbelief. I remember loving running and jumping when I was at primary school - we would set up hurdles in the back garden and practice long jump and high jump and running was just something you did without thinking when you wanted to get somewhere quickly. Secondary school really killed any joy I had in sports and I know I'm not alone in that. I can't catch to save my life and could rarely manage to make a bat make contact with a ball so I may as well have been completely useless. What was described as "cross-country" was seen by many as a form of punishment and was really just running around the school playing field in the cold.
After leaving school, I suppose I was fairly active in that I walked or cycled everywhere but I certainly didn't have any thoughts of going to a gym or exercise class. I think there was a brief period when I was about 20 when I went along to an aerobics class with my mum, then again a brief period of going to the gym with a friend from work when I was about 29 and newly single, but I don't think I worked very hard at it. A year later, I was in a new relationship and pregnant and feeling exhausted and big. After my son arrived, I worked hard at losing all the baby weight and used a resistance machine regularly at home to get back in shape but that was it until about two years ago.
I was overweight and feeling worn out. I'd had aches and pains in joints and limbs for months and months and little energy left after getting through the day at work. I'd been to the doctor several times, checking for things like arthritis and having blood tests and at last it was concluded that I had fibromyalgia. I was prescribed daily tramadol and citalopram. It was good to have an answer at last and I went home and did lots of research on the internet. I'd thought about going to the gym or running over the previous couple of years and just not got any further than that because of the aches and pains. Now I found several mentions that exercise could be good for fibromyalgia and that prompted me to join a gym and to start attending a yoga class and a weight loss/fitness class.
I was very nervous to start with but loved the classes and worked hard at the gym too. For a few months I carried on with this but kept vaguely wondering if I could run. I'd gone to a few Women in Motion running classes a year or so earlier and, after finding it very painful for my knees, had got as far as buying proper running shoes before the little group fizzled out. I kept looking at the NHS C25K plan and wondering if I could do it. I downloaded the podcasts but still wasn't sure how to start. I wasn't confident enough to venture outdoors and run where people could actually see me. The gym closed down for a while and a nice new one was built. Soon after the new gym appeared, I decided I would follow the C25K plan on the treadmill until I felt confident enough to venture into the great outdoors. I discovered a wonderfully warm and supportive community of new runners and C25K graduates on the Health Unlocked C25K forum. At the end of February 2013, aged 45, I got up early and headed for the gym, knowing that it would be almost empty and hardly anyone would see me huffing and puffing on the treadmill.
I was embarking on a new and exciting journey that would take me up to running a whole 5km without stopping. I was determined to stick with the program. I was confident that would be as far as I wanted to go with my running journey - I would run a regular 5km a couple or three times a week, just enough to keep me active. I couldn't imagine ever wanting to go further than that.
To be continued.....
Thursday, 13 June 2013
Another run
Nice easy run with friends from Telford Harriers. Left calf and right achilles niggling a bit so didn't push too hard, just enjoyed the sunshine and good company.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Bah !
Woke up with a cricked neck and have had nasty shooting pains through my right hip all evening.
Today's exercise consists of ankle stretches !
Today's exercise consists of ankle stretches !
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Another run
Nice easy run with some friends from Telford Harriers. A familiar route on the whole and one I like a lot, especially the woodland bits. Legs were a little bit tired still but, to be honest, I could have pushed myself a bit more than I did. Ankles felt ok (rubbed in some Deep heat before setting off), company was good, too many bugs (got a couple in my eye) and nettles are thriving and stinging.
Got restless legs now - horrible !
Got restless legs now - horrible !
Monday, 10 June 2013
Foam Rollering
I first tried using the foam roller a few months ago. I'd seen it described as an instrument of torture so I was prepared for it to hurt but I hadn't expected it to be so hard on my wrists - they're clearly a weak spot as they are the main problem I have with press-ups.
I'm sure that the foam roller will be beneficial for the tightness I sometimes get in my calves and I hope that, in turn, it will help with the problems I've been having with my achilles tendons. I decided to start with a short session today - ten repetitions of each exercise (glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves) - and build up gradually so my wrists can get used to taking the strain ! Yes, the pressure from the foam roller is quite sore in places but not unbearably so and, unlike the weedy wrists, not enough to put me off doing the exercises. I used cushions for my hands to make it a bit more comfortable.
Here's hoping it's another step in the right direction towards sorting out my ankles - I'm feeling positive.
I'm sure that the foam roller will be beneficial for the tightness I sometimes get in my calves and I hope that, in turn, it will help with the problems I've been having with my achilles tendons. I decided to start with a short session today - ten repetitions of each exercise (glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves) - and build up gradually so my wrists can get used to taking the strain ! Yes, the pressure from the foam roller is quite sore in places but not unbearably so and, unlike the weedy wrists, not enough to put me off doing the exercises. I used cushions for my hands to make it a bit more comfortable.
Here's hoping it's another step in the right direction towards sorting out my ankles - I'm feeling positive.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
"Long" run
Today's target was 10 miles.
My ankles and calves felt sore when I crawled out of bed this morning but I ran a bath and had a bit of a soak before getting ready to run and they felt a bit better after that. It was cloudy outside but I expected it to get hot so decided to wear the Run Breeze twin-skin socks in the hope they would keep blisters at bay. The run is usually a mix of track and pavement so I decided to wear the trail shoes and made sure I put two heel lifts in each to make it easy for the troublesome tendons. I also rubbed in some Deep Heat before setting off.
I started with a five minute walk then a jog down the hill towards Blists Hill. I noticed someone fast running along the Silkin Way then lost sight of them. As I reached the road from Madeley past Blists Hill, I'd got into a nice rhythm - it usually takes me longer than that - breathing in for two, and out for three (something I've been trying after reading an article in Runner's World - the theory is that it stops you leading with the same leg all the time and therefore lessens the chance of injury. It seemed worth a try and, if nothing else, it seems to get me into a comfortable pace). I thought I could hear the other runner behind me and assumed they would pass me in no time at all but thought I'd try to stay ahead as long as possible. I kept counting to five and tried to pick up my pace a little but I could still hear them behind me. When I got to Blists Hill, I stopped to wait for Jim and Jen - there was no-one behind me. I'd been running away from the echo of my own plodding ! I did feel I'd warmed up more effectively and comfortably than usual and wondered if my gentle tail-running stint yesterday had helped.
I sat down and stretched my ankles and calves and Jim and Jen soon arrived. We set off at a good pace and I felt a lot more comfortable than I usually do so early in the run. A loo stop was needed at the Brewery Inn, then we carried on to the Woodbridge, crossed the river and set off along the track on the other side, in the direction of Ironbridge. I managed to speed up the nasty hill that I had to walk last time - that pleased me immensely !
Jim has noticed recently that I've improved a bit so he set me challenges "Keep running for the rest of that straight section ahead", "You're not allowed to stop until the car park by the Ironbridge". I did as I was told, even doing the stretch to the Ironbridge car park at a threshold pace (I wouldn't have been able to talk while running). On this stretch, I could feel the contents of my stomach sloshing and bumping around - a most unpleasant sensation, so as Jim and Jen caught me up I shouted that I was going to dash to the toilets. One of those "Just in the nick of time" moments. I felt a lot better after that.
Jim set my next challenge "No stopping until the next bridge" This was the one by the Robin Hood Inn. I was enjoying my impromptu training session and set off happily, leaving myself enough breath to say "Good morning" to anyone I passed on the way.
We then took the hilly route back through the woods - it's a lovely track but with lots of hilly bits and now the challenge was to try not to stop at all. I did have a couple of walking bits but not much and my legs and glutes really started to feel it. My plan had been to carry on for three or four miles after Jim and Jen finished - we usually do 6ish miles together and I wanted to do 10. My legs felt tired and I was starting to get a blister - I started to wonder if I should stop with them rather than carry on, as I'd pushed harder than usual. By the time we got back to Blists Hill, I knew I'd feel bad if I didn't carry on. I also thought that if I can do more than 10 miles on a hilly route, I can probably do the fairly flat Black Country half-marathon I'm aiming for. I carried on, although I did take a detour to buy some more water.
My extra "bit on the end" takes me through some of the footpaths around Halesfield Industrial Estate - it doesn't sound very inspiring but some bits are really pretty and it's surprisingly peaceful. I tried a slightly different route to try and get that extra mile over last time and also managed to keep my walk breaks a lot less frequent than usual. It was really quite hot by now and I had slowed down a bit but I was really pleased that I wasn't getting any pain in my ankles and my biggest niggle was the blisters I could feel developing. It crossed my mind that my ankles might be less troublesome if I didn't have a job that involves sitting at a desk all day - I think if I was moving around more regularly they would give me a lot less discomfort. I'm going to make sure I do lots of stretching while I'm sat at my desk, just to try and keep everything loose and flexible.
In all, I completed 10.46 miles and really enjoyed it. I had a message on my mobile phone "Which silly moo left her front door key in the front door this morning, locking us in the house ?"
Oops ! As I got close to home, I saw that BH was just leaving in the car, having had to come out of the back gate and round to retrieve my abandoned door key. I waved but he didn't see me. That meant I was reliant upon my teenage son (a) hearing me bang on the door (b) bothering to come downstairs to see who was knocking. I could foresee an hour sat on the front doorstep.......He must have been issued with instructions to let me in as not only did he open the door quickly but he ran me a nice, refreshing bath too.
I remembered to do my stretches and haven't seized up yet so, hopefully, the dodgy ankles are behaving themselves a bit. I'm feeling quietly satisfied !
My ankles and calves felt sore when I crawled out of bed this morning but I ran a bath and had a bit of a soak before getting ready to run and they felt a bit better after that. It was cloudy outside but I expected it to get hot so decided to wear the Run Breeze twin-skin socks in the hope they would keep blisters at bay. The run is usually a mix of track and pavement so I decided to wear the trail shoes and made sure I put two heel lifts in each to make it easy for the troublesome tendons. I also rubbed in some Deep Heat before setting off.
I started with a five minute walk then a jog down the hill towards Blists Hill. I noticed someone fast running along the Silkin Way then lost sight of them. As I reached the road from Madeley past Blists Hill, I'd got into a nice rhythm - it usually takes me longer than that - breathing in for two, and out for three (something I've been trying after reading an article in Runner's World - the theory is that it stops you leading with the same leg all the time and therefore lessens the chance of injury. It seemed worth a try and, if nothing else, it seems to get me into a comfortable pace). I thought I could hear the other runner behind me and assumed they would pass me in no time at all but thought I'd try to stay ahead as long as possible. I kept counting to five and tried to pick up my pace a little but I could still hear them behind me. When I got to Blists Hill, I stopped to wait for Jim and Jen - there was no-one behind me. I'd been running away from the echo of my own plodding ! I did feel I'd warmed up more effectively and comfortably than usual and wondered if my gentle tail-running stint yesterday had helped.
I sat down and stretched my ankles and calves and Jim and Jen soon arrived. We set off at a good pace and I felt a lot more comfortable than I usually do so early in the run. A loo stop was needed at the Brewery Inn, then we carried on to the Woodbridge, crossed the river and set off along the track on the other side, in the direction of Ironbridge. I managed to speed up the nasty hill that I had to walk last time - that pleased me immensely !
Jim has noticed recently that I've improved a bit so he set me challenges "Keep running for the rest of that straight section ahead", "You're not allowed to stop until the car park by the Ironbridge". I did as I was told, even doing the stretch to the Ironbridge car park at a threshold pace (I wouldn't have been able to talk while running). On this stretch, I could feel the contents of my stomach sloshing and bumping around - a most unpleasant sensation, so as Jim and Jen caught me up I shouted that I was going to dash to the toilets. One of those "Just in the nick of time" moments. I felt a lot better after that.
Jim set my next challenge "No stopping until the next bridge" This was the one by the Robin Hood Inn. I was enjoying my impromptu training session and set off happily, leaving myself enough breath to say "Good morning" to anyone I passed on the way.
We then took the hilly route back through the woods - it's a lovely track but with lots of hilly bits and now the challenge was to try not to stop at all. I did have a couple of walking bits but not much and my legs and glutes really started to feel it. My plan had been to carry on for three or four miles after Jim and Jen finished - we usually do 6ish miles together and I wanted to do 10. My legs felt tired and I was starting to get a blister - I started to wonder if I should stop with them rather than carry on, as I'd pushed harder than usual. By the time we got back to Blists Hill, I knew I'd feel bad if I didn't carry on. I also thought that if I can do more than 10 miles on a hilly route, I can probably do the fairly flat Black Country half-marathon I'm aiming for. I carried on, although I did take a detour to buy some more water.
My extra "bit on the end" takes me through some of the footpaths around Halesfield Industrial Estate - it doesn't sound very inspiring but some bits are really pretty and it's surprisingly peaceful. I tried a slightly different route to try and get that extra mile over last time and also managed to keep my walk breaks a lot less frequent than usual. It was really quite hot by now and I had slowed down a bit but I was really pleased that I wasn't getting any pain in my ankles and my biggest niggle was the blisters I could feel developing. It crossed my mind that my ankles might be less troublesome if I didn't have a job that involves sitting at a desk all day - I think if I was moving around more regularly they would give me a lot less discomfort. I'm going to make sure I do lots of stretching while I'm sat at my desk, just to try and keep everything loose and flexible.
In all, I completed 10.46 miles and really enjoyed it. I had a message on my mobile phone "Which silly moo left her front door key in the front door this morning, locking us in the house ?"
Oops ! As I got close to home, I saw that BH was just leaving in the car, having had to come out of the back gate and round to retrieve my abandoned door key. I waved but he didn't see me. That meant I was reliant upon my teenage son (a) hearing me bang on the door (b) bothering to come downstairs to see who was knocking. I could foresee an hour sat on the front doorstep.......He must have been issued with instructions to let me in as not only did he open the door quickly but he ran me a nice, refreshing bath too.
I remembered to do my stretches and haven't seized up yet so, hopefully, the dodgy ankles are behaving themselves a bit. I'm feeling quietly satisfied !
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Tail running
A lovely, sunny morning - just the way it should be on a parkrun day.
I was looking forward to my first attempt at being tail runner, although I'll admit to worrying that this would be the week where all the runners would be sub-30 minuters and I'd get left behind !
I hung back a bit at the start and enjoyed a gentle jog for the first km or so. I recognised several of the people as regular parkrunners and guessed that they wouldn't be at the back throughout the parkrun. This proved to be the case - the regulars kept up a steady pace while some newbie runners, having probably started off too quickly, dropped back a bit.
The two girls were first-time parkrunners, having heard about parkrun at school (Thomas Telford). They told me they didn't really "do" PE. Half-way round, one of them commented that she would usually have been in bed at this time. I thought they did well for first-timers who weren't used to running and weren't wearing trainers, let alone running-shoes. Yes, they walked some of it but they also had regular bursts of running and they seemed to enjoy it and finished well. I hope I managed to encourage them without putting any pressure on - it would be nice to see them come back and try again.
After enjoying running while at primary school, I was put off PE and most sport when I got to secondary school and it wasn't until last year that, after much dithering, I finally started running at the grand old age of 45. It's been struggle at times but I love it and wish I'd started sooner, so I think it's wonderful that parkrun can encourage people to just turn up and give it a try and not feel under any pressure.
I think my time was about 43:35mins - a nice, easy walk/jog that didn't aggravate the ankles too much, leaving me looking forward to attempting 10 miles tomorrow morning. After twice starting to train for a half marathon and twice having to give up due to injury, this time is going to be third time lucky !
I was looking forward to my first attempt at being tail runner, although I'll admit to worrying that this would be the week where all the runners would be sub-30 minuters and I'd get left behind !
I hung back a bit at the start and enjoyed a gentle jog for the first km or so. I recognised several of the people as regular parkrunners and guessed that they wouldn't be at the back throughout the parkrun. This proved to be the case - the regulars kept up a steady pace while some newbie runners, having probably started off too quickly, dropped back a bit.
The two girls were first-time parkrunners, having heard about parkrun at school (Thomas Telford). They told me they didn't really "do" PE. Half-way round, one of them commented that she would usually have been in bed at this time. I thought they did well for first-timers who weren't used to running and weren't wearing trainers, let alone running-shoes. Yes, they walked some of it but they also had regular bursts of running and they seemed to enjoy it and finished well. I hope I managed to encourage them without putting any pressure on - it would be nice to see them come back and try again.
After enjoying running while at primary school, I was put off PE and most sport when I got to secondary school and it wasn't until last year that, after much dithering, I finally started running at the grand old age of 45. It's been struggle at times but I love it and wish I'd started sooner, so I think it's wonderful that parkrun can encourage people to just turn up and give it a try and not feel under any pressure.
I think my time was about 43:35mins - a nice, easy walk/jog that didn't aggravate the ankles too much, leaving me looking forward to attempting 10 miles tomorrow morning. After twice starting to train for a half marathon and twice having to give up due to injury, this time is going to be third time lucky !
Thursday, 6 June 2013
One of those runs...
..that reminds you why you do it !
Had quite a stressful day but the sun was shining and I knew a run would help. I met up with some friends at running club and we started off with the idea of running a familiar route in the opposite direction. As we were about to head off, one of the faster chaps offered the option of an adventure and promised to stick to the pace of the slowest runner - how could we refuse ?
Then followed a scenic route through fields of buttercups, shady woodland with tree roots and stinging nettle to dodge, hills and rough tracks, pools and hill views. Great company and I found new parts of our lovely town park that I hadn't seen before. I'd treated my achilles tendons with the infra-red lamp on my massager beforehand and applied some deep heat and it seemed to make them more comfortable - I was even happy and comfortable running up the steeper hills. This was my favourite sort of run, a variety of scenery, mainly off-road and more forgiving surfaces underfoot - I'd have happily done it all again.
I'm looking forward to my stint at tail-running at Telford Parkrun on Saturday and then to a longer run on Sunday and feel more optimistic that my ankles will let me enjoy it.
Had quite a stressful day but the sun was shining and I knew a run would help. I met up with some friends at running club and we started off with the idea of running a familiar route in the opposite direction. As we were about to head off, one of the faster chaps offered the option of an adventure and promised to stick to the pace of the slowest runner - how could we refuse ?
Then followed a scenic route through fields of buttercups, shady woodland with tree roots and stinging nettle to dodge, hills and rough tracks, pools and hill views. Great company and I found new parts of our lovely town park that I hadn't seen before. I'd treated my achilles tendons with the infra-red lamp on my massager beforehand and applied some deep heat and it seemed to make them more comfortable - I was even happy and comfortable running up the steeper hills. This was my favourite sort of run, a variety of scenery, mainly off-road and more forgiving surfaces underfoot - I'd have happily done it all again.
I'm looking forward to my stint at tail-running at Telford Parkrun on Saturday and then to a longer run on Sunday and feel more optimistic that my ankles will let me enjoy it.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Press-ups !
I knew press-ups would be a problem. I can't even do one properly - it hurts my weedy wrists too much. A couple of months ago, I was getting quite good at doing planks but I haven't tried for ages and it's become clear that it's one of things that needs doing regularly.
I'll have to build up to doing proper press-ups - I resorted to doing the easier version, on my knees rather than my feet. I'll keep practicing those and planks until they start to get easier then give the grown-up version another go. There's no point in crippling my wrists, it might affect my ability to open a bottle of wine.......
On a brighter note, my ankles feel a bit better. I found my massaging tool this morning - it has an infra-red lamp option so I gave my achilles tendons a good warming up before work this morning and they've been more comfortable all day. I'll try it again tomorrow morning and again before running club in the evening.
I'll get there :-)
I'll have to build up to doing proper press-ups - I resorted to doing the easier version, on my knees rather than my feet. I'll keep practicing those and planks until they start to get easier then give the grown-up version another go. There's no point in crippling my wrists, it might affect my ability to open a bottle of wine.......
On a brighter note, my ankles feel a bit better. I found my massaging tool this morning - it has an infra-red lamp option so I gave my achilles tendons a good warming up before work this morning and they've been more comfortable all day. I'll try it again tomorrow morning and again before running club in the evening.
I'll get there :-)
Tuesday, 4 June 2013
So far, not so good !
I'm beginning to think I jinxed myself by signing up for Juneathon. I got no exercise done on Sunday as I was out motorcycling all day, then, yesterday I got home from work and felt I should spend the good weather stripping paint off the woodwork on the front of the house as the unpredictable British summer means I don't know how many more opportunities I'll get and the house is in danger of rotting away if it doesn't get some protective paint on it !
The reality is, I've failed the Juneathon challenge before I've really begun ! However, it would be to easy to say that and then just give up so I'm determined to stick to the challenge for the rest of the month.
I looked forward to running with Telford Harriers for a training session tonight. I managed to get as far as the location for the training session and my right achilles tendon was just too sore to risk aggravating the pain- so that was a pretty short session for me ! I'm now icing said ankle and it is starting to feel a bit better.
I'm also doing a bit of research into exercises for achilles tendons - I did some calf raises earlier this week and they just seemed to make things worse. I've now read in a few places that it may be a good idea to warm the tendons with hot water before a run so I'm going to try that next time and see if it improves things. I'm also going to try some resistance band exercises.
My beloved bought me a book for my birthday, back in January - The Official British Army Fitness Guide. It looks pretty good so as soon as the ankle feels up to it, I plan to do the fitness assessment - a two minute press-up test, a two minute sit-up test, a 2.4km run and a sit-and stretch test - before starting on their fitness plan. I'm most worried about the press-up test - I'm sure I'll be well below average !
The reality is, I've failed the Juneathon challenge before I've really begun ! However, it would be to easy to say that and then just give up so I'm determined to stick to the challenge for the rest of the month.
I looked forward to running with Telford Harriers for a training session tonight. I managed to get as far as the location for the training session and my right achilles tendon was just too sore to risk aggravating the pain- so that was a pretty short session for me ! I'm now icing said ankle and it is starting to feel a bit better.
I'm also doing a bit of research into exercises for achilles tendons - I did some calf raises earlier this week and they just seemed to make things worse. I've now read in a few places that it may be a good idea to warm the tendons with hot water before a run so I'm going to try that next time and see if it improves things. I'm also going to try some resistance band exercises.
My beloved bought me a book for my birthday, back in January - The Official British Army Fitness Guide. It looks pretty good so as soon as the ankle feels up to it, I plan to do the fitness assessment - a two minute press-up test, a two minute sit-up test, a 2.4km run and a sit-and stretch test - before starting on their fitness plan. I'm most worried about the press-up test - I'm sure I'll be well below average !
Saturday, 1 June 2013
1st day of the Juneathon
Well, the plan was either to do Telford parkrun or to run to Telford parkrun, do the parkrun, then run home. That would be about 10 miles and should be do-able, after my 9.24 mile run last week.
So, when I woke up this morning and leapt out of bed, what happened ? My niggly achilles tendons were both very sore and I hobbled down the stairs to pop to the loo then hobbled back upstairs and went back to bed ! I'm determined to see my half-marathon training through to the end this time - and that means avoiding injury. My achilles tendons have been bothering me for months now and it's fairly manageable but I'm not risking aggravating them when they're actually painful rather than a bit sore and tight.
I spent the day up and down a stepladder painting the house so didn't feel up to major exercise after that. I settled for following the squats routine in this month's Runner's World. That should make me a stronger runner, apparently. It hurt my knees a lot - perhaps it's something I need to build up gradually.
Before the 5x50 challenge I was doing squats fairly regularly but I let it slip while I got a bit obsessed with distance and trying to average 10 km a day of either cycling or running. The challenge was good for me - I've noticed an improvement in my running (once the achilles tendons have warmed/loosened up thoroughly) in that I can keep going for longer and my speed is slowly improving too.
For the Juneathon challenge, I want to maintain more of a balance between running and gym. I may go back to my yoga classes as I've missed them ever since changing gyms a few months ago. Running will be three times a week so as not to over-strain my ankles - a training session with Telford Harriers on a Tuesday evening, an easy run with Harriers on a Thursday evening and a long run at the weekend.
The half I'm aiming for is the Black Country Half Marathon on 6 July. It's flattish, following a route along the canal from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, with just the bridges to run over. This should mean not too much strain on my ankles so I should have a chance of feeling comfortable throughout as long as a pace myself sensibly.Flat will be quite a novelty - it's difficult to go on a run from my house without encountering any hills !
So, when I woke up this morning and leapt out of bed, what happened ? My niggly achilles tendons were both very sore and I hobbled down the stairs to pop to the loo then hobbled back upstairs and went back to bed ! I'm determined to see my half-marathon training through to the end this time - and that means avoiding injury. My achilles tendons have been bothering me for months now and it's fairly manageable but I'm not risking aggravating them when they're actually painful rather than a bit sore and tight.
I spent the day up and down a stepladder painting the house so didn't feel up to major exercise after that. I settled for following the squats routine in this month's Runner's World. That should make me a stronger runner, apparently. It hurt my knees a lot - perhaps it's something I need to build up gradually.
Before the 5x50 challenge I was doing squats fairly regularly but I let it slip while I got a bit obsessed with distance and trying to average 10 km a day of either cycling or running. The challenge was good for me - I've noticed an improvement in my running (once the achilles tendons have warmed/loosened up thoroughly) in that I can keep going for longer and my speed is slowly improving too.
For the Juneathon challenge, I want to maintain more of a balance between running and gym. I may go back to my yoga classes as I've missed them ever since changing gyms a few months ago. Running will be three times a week so as not to over-strain my ankles - a training session with Telford Harriers on a Tuesday evening, an easy run with Harriers on a Thursday evening and a long run at the weekend.
The half I'm aiming for is the Black Country Half Marathon on 6 July. It's flattish, following a route along the canal from Wolverhampton to Birmingham, with just the bridges to run over. This should mean not too much strain on my ankles so I should have a chance of feeling comfortable throughout as long as a pace myself sensibly.Flat will be quite a novelty - it's difficult to go on a run from my house without encountering any hills !
New challenge, new blog !
Following the 5x50 challenge, which ended on 19 May, I feel ready for a new challenge. Really, I've already set myself a new challenge - I've signed up for a half marathon at the beginning of July, but when I saw a post on the Health Unlocked Couch to 5k community forum talking about the Juneathon challenge, I couldn't resist. Thank you Greenlegs ! :-) One extra incentive can't do any harm, can it ?
As a bit of back ground, I started on the NHS C25K program at the end of February 2012 at just 45 years old and a few weeks after a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. It's a brilliant program that gets you from a non-runner to being able to run for 30 minutes without stopping, after just nine weeks. There's a great community on the link above, who offer advice and support whenever it's needed. Since completing the program, I've joined a running club (Telford Harriers) and this has helped me both with great training sessions and friends to run with. I've run a few 10k races and, most recently, a seven mile multi-terrain race, followed by cycling seven miles home after the race. I've twice started aiming to run a half-marathon and both times had to call it off due to injury - hip bursitis the first time and my painful achilles tendons the second time. The achilles tendons are still an issue but I think I'm managing them better and I'm confident that, as long as I'm careful, I can be ready for my half-marathon. Third time lucky, eh ?
As a bit of back ground, I started on the NHS C25K program at the end of February 2012 at just 45 years old and a few weeks after a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. It's a brilliant program that gets you from a non-runner to being able to run for 30 minutes without stopping, after just nine weeks. There's a great community on the link above, who offer advice and support whenever it's needed. Since completing the program, I've joined a running club (Telford Harriers) and this has helped me both with great training sessions and friends to run with. I've run a few 10k races and, most recently, a seven mile multi-terrain race, followed by cycling seven miles home after the race. I've twice started aiming to run a half-marathon and both times had to call it off due to injury - hip bursitis the first time and my painful achilles tendons the second time. The achilles tendons are still an issue but I think I'm managing them better and I'm confident that, as long as I'm careful, I can be ready for my half-marathon. Third time lucky, eh ?
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